Review Summary: Indie/pop goodness. Good summer tunes if there ever were any.
In theory, one of the biggest upsides to pop music is the simplicity, which of course is often its biggest downside too. And I’m certainly not here to get into a discussion on originality in pop music, mainstream pop is insert negative adjective here blah blah blah blah... so I would have to insist that the best thing to do would be to just focus on the positives. And so, one of the best things about pop music is the simplicity. It is extremely refreshing to listen to music that has no meaning whatsoever sometimes. Music that is just there, happy, shallow, not trying to be anything more. I sure know I don’t often feel like contemplating deep mysteries; most of the time I prefer daydreaming about girls and things that won’t matter in two hours. But at the same time there are subtleties to these times that add depth and meaning. The same is true for pop music really. The best pop music is on the surface simple and plain, but brims with a hidden depth underneath. And Leagues gets this.
Leagues is a newly formed indie band that plays simple songs really. Their lyrics are along of the lines of “everyday day I feel it baby, tell me you do,” and other such cliches but thankfully, that makes it better. Leagues is endlessly poppy, gleefully cheesy, and contently simple. The three songs, which precede a full length to be released in the near future, are a breath of fresh air. Opener “Magic” is a slightly classic rock tinged song that is by far the least atmospheric of the trio and also likely the weakest, but still worthwhile. “Mind Games” is a peppy pop single that strongly shows off vocalist Thad Cockrell’s smooth high, almost feminine vocals. Dynamic and catchy, “Mind Games” might be the best of the three tracks. “Haunted” follows in suit with a dancy guitar line and bouncy drums with a strong chorus and simple melody. All three delightful tracks bounce around cheerfully and are an absolute pleasure to listen to, which, as cliche as that does ever sound, is immensely satisfying.
And there really isn’t much more to be said. To be honest Leagues don’t really bring that much new to the table, but they do manage to achieve what many fail at, and that is a simple, entirely satisfying experience. There’s enough musical depth to prevent it from being boring easily, but not so much that it is overwhelming or falls flat on its face. Watch out for these guys when the LP drops, it could be one of the feel-good records of the year.
